Tag Archives: alumni

On Monday, posters like the one above were put up all over campus, including on most (if not all) senior house doors. The posters call for the removal of Daniel Handler ’92 as Commencement Speaker after repeated instances of racism and sexual harassment. They also call attention to the fact that Dr. Anita Hill, who is known for speaking out against workplace harassment, will receive an honorary degree (a lesser honor and a shorter speech) at the same event.

According to the university’s website, “Wesleyan graduates are successful in every profession imaginable, including law, science, medicine, business, politics, and the creative arts. They are often leaders and innovators in their fields”. With all the recent focus on Lin-Manuel Miranda, we thought we’d shed some light on the other people who made the name “Wesleyan” famous.

A recent Wes grad, Jesse Galganov ’17, has disappeared on a backpacking trip in Peru. Galganov left his home in Montreal on September 24 for an eight-month backpacking trip through South America and Southeast Asia. His family last heard from him on September 28, when he texted his mother to inform her that he would be hiking a 31-mile trail through the Cordillera Blanca Mountains and would be not be reachable until early October. (Sources differ on whether Galganov specified October 2 or October 4.)

Three weeks later, no one has heard from Galganov. According to close friends, all communication with him – including frequent texts and Snapchat updates on his trip – suddenly ceased after September 29. His mother has filed a missing persons report with the U.S. State Department, and his whereabouts are under investigation by the Peruvian National Police. The District Attorney that overseas Huaraz, Peru, is also now conducting a criminal investigation, as there are conflicting narratives surrounding his stay in Huaraz’s Kame House Backpacker Hostel, where he was last sighted.

Wesleyan solicits donations from alumni year-round to support the many fundraising campaigns that keep Wesleyan afloat (but somehow still not need-blind…). Over the summer, I spoke with Cade Leebron ’14about her own campaign for alumni to speak up about the many issues that students and alumni alike see at the school. She began Text Wes Back to collect actual responses that she and other alumni sent back when Wesleyan texted them to donate money to the school.

Content warning: the following post and video discuss sexual violence and assault.

[Updated 2/16/17, 11:53AM] Check the bottom of the post for photos of the performance from Jejomar Erln Ysit ’19

If you were on campus at any point from Fall 2014 – Fall 2015, you might remember Karmenife Paulino ’15 as being something of a legend. Here are a few ways you may be familiar with her:

She became a very public activist against sexual violence, openly talking about her assault at Psi U her freshman year.

She also spoke out against members of Eclectic (which she was also a member of) for allowing her rapist into their home and perpetuating rape culture. Along with controversy surrounding a racial slur on a membership application, this contributed to Eclectic losing their house for the 2016-2017 school year.

She returned to campus last Friday for a one-hour stand-up routine, “Make Your Own Reparations 101,” and delivered a rousing set to the packed basement of Malcolm X House. Her jokes covered everything from the Wes administration, to casual racism at her workplace, to scamming white men on Tinder. Watch the video of her performance after the jump:

What can you do after graduation with a degree in Anthropology? Come hear four recent Wes Alumni talk about life after Wesleyan!

Friday, February 17, 2017
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Russell House
reception with snacks to follow — department faculty will also be on hand to answer questions about the major.

Featuring:Mariama Eversley ’14, Embedded Historian Fellow for Blights Out in New OrleansPromiti Islam ’08, National Training Specialist at the Posse Foundation in New York CityMichele Ko ’16, Government Relations Associate at Planned Parenthood of New York CityKatie McConnell ’13, Master of Environmental Science candidate at Yale’s School of Forestry

“Jeanine Basinger personally emailed to ask if we’d consider donating the series to Wesleyan’s archives.”

Childhood can be a stressful time. On top of endless school days and social politics, children’s brains are often filled with pressing and relevant questions like “how will I make money after losing my job?” or “how do I know if I have an STI?”. Luckily, Emma Starer Gross ’15 and Ananya Menon ’15are here to help these inquisitive young minds as hosts of their new webseriesKiddie Kiddie Bang Bang. In each episode Emma and Ananya break down a new topic with their wisdom and sage advice. Thankfully, they were able to take time out of doing their important work to answer some of our questions.

Hsu dedicated i was a phoenix to Claire Randall ’12, who passed away just before its release. She describes Randall as “the fierce and transcendent force that taught us how to be our most courageous and vulnerable selves– an anchor and a rock of this ensemble who breathed magic into every nook and cranny of this album.”

Ross Gormley ’13writes in with an opportunity for students who want to help to develop a new website for the Wesleyan community. He has also, once again and apropos of nothing, included a picture of Antonin Scalia:

PostWes is seeking students wishing to get experience designing/building/maintaining a blog. The blog is simple. Alumni submit their stories and undergraduates see what life after wes is like. The goal is to have PostWes be a valuable resource to current undergraduates while having successive waves of graduating students post their own stories. PostWes and the Wesleyan TypeClub are seeking Comp Sci majors, graphic designers, bloggers, or curious students looking to contribute in anyway! We love all of you and your ideas!

The informational meeting will take place at Espwesso this Tuesday at 9pm.